For Immediate Release
July 2, 2009 |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alan Mlynek
Office: 202.225.4961
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Job Loss Figures Spotlight Need for State and Federal Action |
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14.7 Million Unemployed - More Than At Any Time Since 1939 |
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(Washington D.C.)- Rep. Sander Levin issued the following statement regarding the national jobs report released today by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The numbers behind the national unemployment rate point to a jobs crisis and deepening economic urgency for millions of individuals and their families,” said Rep. Sander Levin. “The difficulty of this economic downturn must not be understated or underestimated as we accelerate recovery efforts and take additional steps to support families.”
“Michigan is ground zero for these national numbers and they spotlight the need for the Michigan State Senate to stop blocking $138 million in federal money from reaching unemployed workers in Michigan,” said Rep. Levin. “And even as the federal government has approved the longest extension of unemployment benefits in history, we must prepare to act in the face of hundreds of thousands of individuals exhausting benefits these next months.”
“Currently, Michigan’s regular unemployment program covers only 42% of unemployed workers. We fought to include a provision in the Recovery so there was incentive money on the table to encourage states to improve their unemployment eligibility rules and include more workers who have been laid off through no fault of their own,” said Rep. Levin. “Congress made $207.5 million available for Michigan, but the State Senate is blocking $138 million of those funds from reaching workers. The State Senate should act immediately to pass these bills and allow this money to help workers and boost Michigan’s economy.”
Michigan qualified for the first third of the funds available because the state already allows workers to use their recent earnings to qualify for benefits. Two bills pending in the Michigan State Senate would enable more Michigan workers to qualify for unemployment insurance and provide Michigan an additional $138 million in federal funding. These bills, HB 4785 and HB 4786, extend benefits for people in training programs and allow people seeking part time work to qualify for unemployment benefits. The part-time provisions alone would extend benefits to over 22 thousand people. The Michigan House passed the bills on May 6th, but the State Senate has failed to act.
“These Michigan residents have worked enough to meet the existing wage eligibility requirements, and the state law should be changed to allow them to receive benefits when they need it the most,” concluded Rep. Levin.}
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